Friction-clutch.



PATENTED JUNE 11., 1907.

' INVENTOI? WITNESSES:

A 77'OHNE Y UNITEED STATES CHARLES J, GADD, OF STEELTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

FRlGTlON"CLUTCH- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed April 3,1906. Serial No. 309,648.

T all when it may (.OIMJ/H'Ib.

Be it known that l, (hurries J. Gnu), a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at llez'igy Heights, Steelton, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful .1:umrovements in Friction-Clutches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to friction clutches of the type, in which the friction is applied to the hub of a wheel to be driven, by a split ring, bushing or band spread apart by a sliding wedge. The disadvantages eXperienccd with clutches of this kind now in use are: that as soon as the friction surfaces of the wheelhub and the split ring, bushing or band wear off, the latter must be entirely renewed, causng considerable expense in fitting a new ring to the Wheel hub, shaft etc. and loss of time due to stoppage of macl'iincry connected with the driving wheel. while such repairs are being made.

The object of my invention is to overcome these objectionable features and to provide means whereby the wear on the friction surfaces may almost instantly be taken up or readjusted, and to provide a friction clutch, which is not only reliable, simple and easily adjusted but which also will transmit the power of the shaft directly to the part to be clutched without the intervention of numerous mechanical parts My invention consists of a friction-clutch comprising a driving-sli'aft, a hub of a wheel to be driven, a hiction surl'z'ice on said hub, friction cheeks surrounding the driving shaft, a wedge sliding on a key and said shaft and means for shifting said wedge.

My invention further consists of the improvements hercinaftcr set forth and pointed out in the claims.

My invention will he more fullyundcrstood taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, and in which Figure l is a sectional view of myimprovcd clutch, showing a shaft. the hubof a wheel running loosely on a. bushing between two collars, a key in said shaft, friction cheeks, a wedge for spreading said cheeks, and means for sliding said wedge on said shaft and key. Fig. 2. is a section on line 2- 2 of Fig. 1., showing the shaft and key, the wheel-hub the friction cheeks, a packing for said checks and the wedge for spreading said cheeks. Fig 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. l, but showin the other side of the wedge.

Fig. l, are side and top views of the friction cheeks. Fig. 5 are front and side views of the sliding wedge, and, Fig. 6 is a view show ing a collar adapted to hold the loose wheelhub in place.

Referring now to the drawings for a fur thcr description of my invention, a is a shaft driven from any suitable source, 0 is a hub of a wheel, or other body to be driven intermittently by said shaft (1; between the hub c and the shaft a may be. located a bushing d, and a collard is secured to the shaft a to guide the hub c laterally. in the hub c is formed a circular recess to provide a frictional surface a, and in this recess and surrounding the shaft (1 are located the two friction-cheeks 1) (Figs,

1, 2, 3, and 4). The two checks 1) forming a sectional ring are provided at one of 'elr ends with a packing piece. I) for a purpose to be )rcseutly described, while the other ends are bcveled in two directions as plainly shown in Figs. 2 and 1.

,The shaft a is key-seated and provided with a key a extending into the recess of the hub c and butting with one end against a col lar while the other end of-the key a is held .by a collar (1 serving also as stop for the sliding-wedge This wedge c is provided with a grooved collar (4 surrounding the shaft a, and a longitudinalgroove dr key-scat fitting the key a; the wedge e is tapering in two directions as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, to register with the bcveled,ends of the friction cheeks I, A

The wedge a may be shifted by any suit able device as s, to s )rcad the beveled ends of the friction-checks i) apart 'and to bring the latter into close contact with the frictionsurface c of the hub c, to cause the latter to be rotated with the shaft a, or to disengage the friction cheeks b from contact with the said friction-surface c of the hub c, as will be fully understood by those versed in the art to which my invention appcrtains.

From the foregoing and Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be seen that the )OWCl to be transmitted from the shaft (1 to t hc hub c is directly and. through lhel'rictiou-phecks, and that perlion of the key a; which extends into the recess of the hub 0, so that no member of the device is subjected to bending 9r twisting.

Should the fricti'on surfaces of the hub and checks I) wear off so that the wedge e cannot perform its function properly, a. slightly thicker packing piece I) is inserted between the ends of the friction checks b,by

' sliding jzhe sell? a a adial arm and a beveled. end on each 1' friction cheeks, sniffing collar key: 1

l to said shaft, a Wedge formed integral with said collar and adapted to engage the beveled ends of said f1i-3tl0n cheeks, and a packingpiscebetween the radial ends of 1 said frictisn cheeks, substantially as and for 2:; the purposQs set forth.

CHAR LES l GADD.

a and forming g1 Ward, and se-setf sertion of a new "i tion which will 00 'HzWing thus and objects M m; new and desire to 1 The combim mounted on :1 s the hub of said surrounding said brought into 0on3;

, W lmesses' B L R. ALLEMAN,

HERMANN BORMA'NN. 

